A Guide to Active Noise Control

Noise can be hugely disruptive in the office. It is one of, believe it or not, the main causes of work related stress. Today more and more businesses are opting to make use of space and have open plan offices to not only save space, but also to increase communication in the office and therefore productivity. The usual way to try and decrease the noise in the office is by the use of desktop screens, freestanding screens and acoustic screens on the walls however there is a new way of reducing the noise in the office without having to attach a screen to your office desk, and that is by using noise cancelling speakers

Sound is a wave, which consists of reoccurring peaks and troughs. Noise cancelling speakers emit a sound wave that with the same amplitude as the original sound waves except that it is inverted. This then forms a new sound wave that cancels out the noise. It is as simple as that.

These speakers are not only present in headphones, but are becoming more and more popular in commercial environments. The speakers can be built into the wall or ceiling and emit noise cancelling waves throughout the office.

The way that noise cancellation speakers work in an office is that there is a microphone built into the speakers that pick up the sound waves and the speaker then copies the sound that has originally been recorded and then emits an out of phase copy. This has become increasingly popular in recent years as sound pollution has become of increased concern and trying to find a solution can actually increase the productivity of your employees as well as boosting their morale. This is why it is why when planning your office space, not only should you think about the office furniture configurations or whether you should go for ergonomic chairs or standard office swivel chairs, but you should also think about how the noise will affect your employees.